Baby CapricornThe Capricorn child may be born looking like an old soul. This physical attribute will shift as the baby finds its childhood bearing, but the presence of an "old soul" will be apparent throughout life. There is a serious nature about Capricorn and a great determination to succeed. This personality trait will be become apparent as the child learns to walk and take care of its own basic needs (dressing, potty training, etc.). Parents may find this impressive focus "adorable," but it is important not to minimize the seriousness Capricorn children bring to these tasks. They tend to set ambitious goals and meet them when they are encouraged to be true to themselves.

Capricorns may have pronounced foreheads and remarkable eyes. As children, they do not readily participate in frivolous games and activities, preferring to learn and apply their knowledge to acquire greater skill. Games like chess may be preferred. Capricorn children will treasure the parent who teaches them practical skills. There is also a great respect for manner and tradition in this personality. Your child may show an interest in older cultures such as Japan, China, and even Europe. Exposure to these cultures through fairytales, children's books, and videos will be a delight for your young Capricorn.

Capricorn children may feel extremely empathic when forming relationships with peers although they may not always have the words to express the deep emotions they experience. Your support in connecting emotions with language will be vital to their development. Foundation and structure is essential to this sign. Young Capricorns will be conscious of their foundation from a young age. The best way to show your respect for your Capricorn child is through regularity and dependability.

I look around while trying to catch my breath at the beautiful children you are becoming. You are both growing into such enchanting human beings. I feel so compelled to write down every single thing you are up to, but I find myself caught up in being a part of and observing your lives that I barely have the capacity to pick up a camera to capture all the fun. I soak up the moments as they come, and relish in the memory... the way you guys giggle together when you say silly things over and over and over again (butt jokes are a current favorite). The way you guys can love in one minute, and annoy each other endlessly the next is hilarious; and I say that with the kindest heart, simply because I've been there.
Gavin: You just finished up the Pre-K/Kindergarten curriculum this past year. We had a blast this year with your friends, meeting with them each week to do a unit study. We went on a lot of field trips! Police Station, Fire Station, Weather Observatory, Vet's Office, Marineland, a Farm, Okeefenokee, the Beach, a Train Ride! We had such fun. You learned so much this year! It was the first year we really used multimedia to help teach you various topics. You really took to learning all about anatomy and the different body systems. Currently, you are still fascinated with blood and bones. You are learning to read and can sound out a lot of different words. Short math is becoming a topic of interest to you as well, but didn't really strike a cord with you until the end of this year. You can draw! Finally, you are drawing stick people! I received an adorable 'card' on Mother's Day this year from you. You drew a head with big eyes and ears, and a big grin. It was completely unprompted, and the absolute sweetest thing. I framed it, and I'm keeping it forever. You also gave me another card, and on it was drawn three flowers with distinct swirling for the petals and individual leaves down the stems. So detailed! I'm framing that one as well. I love how you tell the most elaborate stories! Your imagination astounds me! Lately you have been drawing what appears to be story maps on paper. Armed with a box of crayons, you set to work grabbing a color and telling a story. Say, the person has on a red sweater; you'll grab a red crayon, and start drawing a line - in any direction - and tell about this person and what they might be doing. Then, grabbing another color, say blue, you'll then continue the line with the blue crayon, perhaps talking about a blue bench they are going to sit on. The paper gets filled with an entire rainbow of a long, swirling, tangled line as the story morphs and takes shape. It really is completely beautiful when you are finished. I'm amazed at how much you are taking in, but also how much more you want to keep devouring!
You tell jokes! And they are funny! "What type of bagel can fly? A plane bagel" Ha! You always want to be involved in every single conversation happening around you, whether you know anything about the topic or not. You remind me so much of myself in needing to feel important and intelligent. Most adults aren't sure how to take such a verbose little dude, but you quickly put most of them at ease with a simple cock of your head, furrow of your brow, and fighting stance as you fight off the decepticons. Yep, you are still into everything Transformers and Rescue Bots. Though, now it's merged into all things Super Heroes, too, so it's gotten pretty adventurous. You enjoy the good guy/bad guy dynamic in your pretend play with friends. You love dirt. You got a swing set for Christmas in 2013 and ever since, I send you outside at least once a day to play, and there you are, digging in the dirt pit, with your vehicles, shovels and other implements. We passed a construction site on the way through downtown one day off of the interstate. They were building a new entrance ramp. You immediately took notice of the machines, but also of the workers, and for the first time, what they were actually building. "Mom, it's a ramp!" Oh yeah, Buddy? How come? "They are building a ramp for cars to go on. I build those in the dirt pit in the back yard with my machines for my cars!" Your discovery was spot on, and you were happy to have observed such a thing.
You run so fast! You also learned to ride your bike without training wheels this year! That was a cool moment. One moment, I'm holding onto your seat, telling you to keep your head up, keep looking forward, and just like that, you were out of my hands, peddling, and with supreme confidence, ready to ride a two wheeled bike. You haven't looked back and now even peddle standing up. You learned to swing one fine afternoon, too! It took about a good half an hour for me to give you instructions and examples and more instructions, but you finally got it! Learning how to pull yourself back, to allow the weight of yourself to help propel the swing... it clicked. I love watching your light bulb moments! It's one of the pleasures of my life.
We tried karate, and after exactly one year, and an orange belt to show for it, you decided it wasn't for you. I was proud that you stuck with it, even when you really didn't want to. I don't think the rigid atmosphere was a good fit. And that's okay. You made it work for a year, and you looked so super proud to have gotten your orange belt the day you tested. With the change of heart over karate came a new opportunity - Baseball! You really loved t-ball this year. We landed on a great time at Fort Caroline Athletic Association. You played for Coach Keith and the Braves this year. You were totally that kid playing in the dirt on the field. The first couple of games were pure comedy. You'd hit the ball, then chase the ball. You wanted to field every single ball and got visibly upset when you couldn't. But with practice, you have learned a bit of patience and hard work. You hit off the tee and without it. You learned to throw the ball, and how to block it up. You got hit in the shoulder by a line drive, and while it hurt, and I could tell it did, you sucked it up and moved right along with the game with bravery that I had not expected. And it'd surprise you to know that it was your Dad's tookus that left the bench to hit the field to make sure you were alright. I had to tug him back and remind him of how big you were and that it was the Coach's job. You made me proud on that one, kiddo. It sure was fun being there and watching you play. I can't wait for next season! You seem pretty excited, too, and are always wanting one of us to come outside and play ball with you.
... to be continued.

...I'm sitting and watching a melancholy movie. The main character is staring out upon a large city while it is dark outside. And slowly, the sky lightens in that beautiful periwinkle color as the sunrise teases the horizon...
It was in that moment that I was transported back... to a sleepy moment, holding a small infant, standing, no, swaying in a small nursery. Your nursery. It was dark when you cried for me. I came and pulled you out of your crib, and we sat and rocked while you nursed. My eyelids were heavy, but you smelled of sweet baby and milk; of laundry detergent and linen. When you had finished, I slowly stood up and pulled you to my shoulder while I swayed, patted, and looked out your window. The birds were just starting to greet the sky as it turned that familiar periwinkle color. You and me, my sweet babe... in the quiet moments of the dawn... welcomed the sunrise of a new day.

Hi Boog! It's December again. And now that the weather has turned colder, I'm finally finding some inspiration for the holidays as well as having my memory jogged as to what you have been up to lately.
Soccer! You participated in four weeks of Munchkin Soccer thanks to JYSC. Each week, you learned something new. You also learned the value of practice. While you're still a bit young and distracted to full on participate in a team, you learned some basic skills through all the drills they put you through. By week two, you were dribbling and maneuvering the ball through a line of flags. You kicked goals, and learned how to wait in line. You learned how to try and try again, and even learned a bit of disappointment by not making a single goal during the two turns you were given. But, you didn't give up. We talked about that on the way to get ice cream. I was very proud of you by the end of week three and how far you had come. You'll definitely participate again in the spring, and I'll start working those basic drills into your outside time during school. After spring Munchkin League, if you are still interested, we'll sign you up for the next level, and you'll play on a team for a season. I hope you like it. I really want you to participate in a team sport. I truly believe that they teach so much.
School is going really well this year. You are making headway in the handwriting department, and can fully write your name. Granted, it's in graduated sizes, but all the letters are legible, and you can do it by yourself. My goal for the year has been met. We'll keep working to help perfect it and see if you can keep creating letters. I want you to enjoy learning how to write and write well. Handwriting is a lost art in the generation of keyboards and touch screens. Your manipulative skills (as well as your patience) is getting better. You're still not a huge fan of arts and crafts, but your learning to cut better with scissors. You're also learning to draw actual things rather than scribbling and telling me what you scribbled. You're rocking out jigsaw puzzles! Granted, they have to be about 7 or so pieces or less, but you're still figuring them out and enjoying them. I see such concentration when I place one in front of you while I prepare to transition us to the next lesson. You love songs and circle time (at home). You sing constantly. I love it.
Little things have gone away that make me a bit weepy eyed. "Kabuzz" was my favorite word ever, next to the "Eeechow!" squeal from way back. In response to any question, you'd start with Kabuzz. It was used in place of Because. I'd ask you questions just to hear it. Then one day, it just vanished. You no longer say it. Makes me sad that it finally corrected itself, and you are leaving more and more of your baby speech behind. I know, I know, you are growing, you're a big boy... I know! But there are certain things that are just so. darned. cute. This was one of those things. It kept me grounded in the fact that while you are coming up on four years old, you're still only four years old.
Now? Everything, and I mean every single thing, that I say to you, or ask of you, is "why?". I mean, you barely process what has just been said, and out of your mouth so fast is "why?" You have even asked me why, then immediately asked me what I asked you. I cannot explain how frustrating it is. I now fully understand why my parents fell back to "because I said so." Because, seriously, I said so. I have to offer to satisfactory (to me) choices to get around being asked why. We'll see how long it takes you to figure it out. You also ignore me, on purpose. You completely tune out anything you don't want to hear. I shake my head, then tap you on the shoulder to get your attention, or I resort to yelling. I despise yelling.
You went through quite a few transitions recently. One of the biggest was when we had to put Duke down. He had cancer, and a cancer that, even if treated, would diminish his quality of life, and not extend it much beyond what it would take to heal from such surgery and treatment. We couldn't do that to him. So, with heavy hearts, we put him to sleep, and had to go through the process of explaining to you what had happened to him. It was agonizing for your Dad and I. You took it in stride, and thankfully, because we had a full week, we made sure to make the most of it. You ask about him occasionally, and still make mention of him, but overall, I think because he was not your favorite of the two, it just didn't hit you as hard as it hit us. It was hard not to transfer the pain of what I was feeling by getting extra hugs or absent mindedly making you responsible for making me feel better.
You are incredibly obsessed with Transformers. Gone are the days of Cars, now it's Transformers and super heros; particularly, The Avengers (yay Marvel!). I can totally get on board with super heroes, but I'm having a bit of flux when it comes to Transformers. To be fair, I wasn't into them when I was a kid, either. But you looooove any and everything to do with them. You quote them. You play them. You make other people play them. You ask everyone if they like Megatron and all the other characters. You make up stories about them. And every single wheeled vehicle you have is a Transformer. You flatten out on the ground and consider yourself transformed into a truck. You just love them. Gigi has been dubbed Bumblebee and you won't call her anything else. The two of you banter and play back and forth.
I love how much you love your family. You adore every member, and will usually request to stay the night over being home! We have lots of fun memories of holidays and parties being spent with everyone.
You're getting both better and worse with your sister if that makes much sense. You love her. Yes. But you are annoyed as all get out by her. She invades your world and space all the time, but you are learning to take it in stride. She is starting to full on play with you, and I think you appreciate that on some level. You like being able to make her laugh. You are seriously displeased when she touches you in anyway that is uninvited first. You can dish it, but you sure can't take it. And I completely understand and empathize, though half the time, I have to step in just out of sheer safety for her. I hope you grow to like her, and I think you will... in time.
We've had a busy year this year. You've grown by leaps and bounds, and I can hardly believe it's been four years already. The time, while in the middle of things, seems slow, but when I look at the spectrum, it's gone by so fast. I love you... with my whole heart... I'll always be cheering you on, sweetheart. Always.
MarBear! You! You are just the most vivacious and happy little creature I have ever seen. I turn around, surprised most of the time, at how much you are doing. I'm very hands on with both you and your brother, but you still surprise me daily. You climb fearlessly! And once you have climbed, you stand up triumphantly! As I let go of the breath I hold, I pull you down, and you go find new troubles and discoveries.
You love to paint and create. I can hand you any medium, even food, and you'll sit there and put your full little hands in there to discover and make something out of it. You love blocks, and the tubes/connectors set that Gavin has. You put things together, take things apart. You stack them up, knock them down. You love, love, love taking clothes off of folded piles and walking around with them, showing them to whomever might notice and respond. You like digging through clothes drawers, and taking shoes out. I'm not sure why you like toting all of these things, but you just get satisfaction from carrying things around with you.
You speak very few words, but you say poop (and giggle) when I change your diaper, you say shoes when you bring them to me, you say doggie, mama, daddy, papa... and that's about it. Really. On the flipside, however, you understand just about every single thing I say. I can tell you to put something back, and you put it back. I ask you to get shoes and socks on, and you sit down and hold up your feet. I ask if you are ready for a diaper change and you say "mmm" and walk back to your room (try to scale the changing table). You respond appropriately to most anything. You give kisses or say no if you don't want to. You give bonks on request, you rub noses on request. You point out body parts, you sign across your chest for "please". Your comprehension is amazing. And so I don't bat an eye lash at your lack of speech. You don't have to ask for much. You bring me a cup when you are thirsty and sign for please, and say something that soooounds like thirsty, but it's just not concrete yet; but it sounds the same every time you say it. "mmm" means yes at the end of a question for you. When we are done saying our blessing for food, you end with "agoo" for Amen. Every time. It's adorable.
You practically run everywhere you go. You love walking... but when you are done walking, you hold your hands up and nuzzle your head into my neck, placing your hands into my chest upon being picked up. It's mega sweet. You allow me to rock you to sleep, other times not. If you raise your head up three times or more, I'll ask if you want to lay down in your crib for sleep, and you say "mmm".
You still adore water. We still have to keep the bathroom door closed to keep you out of the toilet. You actually swim in the tub. You will lay back, turn over, and pull yourself up, looking incredibly proud and happy with yourself. You have zero fear of water. You love taking baths with Gavin. You love Gavin anyway. You'd live in his entire world if he'd let you. You've started to protest when he takes things away from you. Oh! Add that to your list of words. You say noooooooo! when he picks you up or takes something out of your hands. You pout really well. You also ignore me really well. Mary, Mary, come back! No way. Gone. Teedle toddle, motorin' off.
You love dirt! If there is dirt, much like water, you are in it. You eat it, you sift it, you dig in it, you eat it some more. I cringe, then throw you in the bath tub when you're done. You're a super messy kid!
You look so positively precious and adorable with pigtails, and yet? You will practically pull the hair out of your head to take them down.
You had your first visit with Santa Claus - you cried. My child who loves everyone broke down and sobbed. You took a look at your brother and briefly smiled long enough for the shutter to click closed, and we had a non crying picture, but the other five shots, you were screaming. This whole ordeal lasted probably 90 seconds. I'm not in the business of keeping babies angry for a picture. No way. It's never worth it to me. I pulled you up from his lap in a hurry, told him my thanks and wished him a Merry Christmas, he looked tired and relieved that I wasn't going to make him hold you until you smiled.
My little outgoing baby girl. I love you. You bring me such joy.
To my children, my life... Thank you both. You are both incredible and amazing, each in your very own ways. For there is never going to be another Gavin, or another Mary.

Hi kids. This is hard to admit, and even harder to live through, much less put in print for all posterity. I'm in flux once again with my parenting and I'm not certain what direction to go in. It feels very lonely to be in this position. It feels very dark. Very bleak. It feels like post partum depression even though my youngest is 14 going on 15 months old.
Being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever undertaken. With all the exasperation that comes with it, and it's day to day, I have to look so far in the future to see the changes that will eventually come. It all is too close right now, and feels suffocating on some days.
Truth is, I feel like I'm failing you both as an educator and a mother some of the time. I hope not, but it feels that way from time to time. It's just so hard during the day to day to really step back and be the fun mom, the cool mom, the yes mom. I miss being the yes mom. I've turned into a no mom and I'm not sure when or how that even happened. Everything changed so fast. Boundaries are tested hourly, minute to minute. Attitudes are a constant, and tantrums follow. It's a war zone sometimes. I feel completely ill equipped to handle it all. And I feel alone in a sea of really great parents. I'm not certain how I've screwed up so badly.
I feel like you don't like me some days, Gavin. That we are at odds on just about every single thing from breakfast to going to bed. I miss my wispy haired little boy. I didn't cherish those days enough. Cherish those days with your first born. They are so fleeting. You're growing up too fast for me to keep up and it scares me. I'm wondering if preschool is the answer for you. If homeschool is just not right, right now, or ever. You thrive when we work together... just socially, I'm not certain it's best. I can't give you the graces you need socially, seeing as how I'm a bit awkward and shy myself. I miss you, guy. You're my absolute favorite little boy to be around, and you are funny, handsome, brilliant, charming, and, again, funny. But, like me, your storm clouds rumble with the threat of ever present rain. The moments of bliss get further apart, as the moments of clashing between us get closer together. I fear that you will have therapy bills in the future, though I hope not. I'm reading and praying so much to seek guidance on where I should go and how to proceed. These years are formative and incredibly important. That fact does not do anything to take the burden of momma guilt away.
Mary, you suffer tremendously at the hands of being a wee one in the world of an almost four year old. You are far more independent, motor skill wise, than I have ever been able to comprehend a child your age being. You've outpaced every milestone ever set by your brother, and are keen to getting into everything. Problem is, one look at your sweet face when you smile, and it's all over for me. I can hardly stay mad at you. You are rarely in trouble. But my focus is usually drawn to your brother in a most negative fashion. I hate that we don't spend more time together, you and me. Your brother had my time and attention in spades because he was the first. You are a hilarious little girl. Running, climbing, excited by the whole world around you. You just figured out 'noooo' and how to throw a tantrum. I know that we are going to rumble soon as well as your 18 monthday rolls around. I'm hoping you'll go easy on me, but truth be told, I'm hoping for easy teenage years over easy toddler years.
I'm so off course, and I'm without a rudder. Here is the time where I go and try to figure out my faith yet again in my life. Try to find the very God I keep walking away from, thinking I can hold my own, it's my life, don't need any help, thankyouverymuch... When, like an errant child, I need constant guidance and reassurance.
Kids, I want you to know I'm trying my very best. My very hardest to be the best mother I can be for you guys; so you can turn out to be the best adults you can be. I've never been so challenged before. Please forgive me in my parental failures and hiccups. I'm trying. I love you. Always.

Hi Darlin! You have come a long way in 365 days. You are a full on one year old. You're active as ever, and always mischievous. You charm the pants off everyone you meet with your big smile, bright eyes, and happy spirit. You are funny as all get out and enjoy direct interaction, but have gotten very good at entertaining yourself. Your brother is still your favorite person, though, half the time he can be not very fond of you. Growing pains are hard to get through, I suppose. But when he wants to be around you, he's all about you. Now that you are pick up-able, he is loving it. He moves and walks you all over the house. The accidental bump and fall has happened, but over all, he digs taking a bit of responsibility for you.
You eat a wide variety of foods, and as long as they are chopped up well, you eat them with ferver. You even like olives! Chicken is always a welcome food on your plate, but you still love fruits over veggies. Spaghetti is a messy favorite as well. You are almost fully weaned off of breastmilk, only requiring one nursing a night, when you wake up. The cuddles are so sweet though. You are full on, on cow's milk at the moment. I have to admit though, it does some weird stuff to your poop if you drink too much of it.
You love swimming and water! Anytime is a good time for swimming by your opinion, and you get a big kick out of dunking your face underwater. You drink from the flowing tap in bath tubs or sinks, too. Splash pads are always fun, and you enjoy sprinklers as well.
You're very easy to put to bed these days, too. You've never been a fan of getting lulled to sleep initially, only upon middle of the night wake ups; so to be able to put you down and walk away, while bittersweet, is rather nice.
We have found a great rhythm to our days together as a family unit. You finally nap! On a schedule! You tend to fall asleep in the car coming home from playdates, but instead of waking up upon getting home and staying awake, I can move you from the car to your crib, and you sleep a good couple hours more. You require a lot of activity to get you this way though. You are one busy little monkey!
You reach for doorknobs already. You open cabinets. You chew on electrical wires. You undo boxes of things that I thought I put away and out of your reach. You pull things off of tables taller than you. You always want to explore and be into the next available thing to be into right away. You are Johnny Danger and love every heart attack inducing moment of it. You recently climbed into a baby swing backwards and proceeded to rock yourself into a tizzy. I swore you were going to fall right out any moment, but you showed superb balance!
You are almost walking. You have taken a couple of independent steps here and there, but nothing solid yet. You grab furniture and walls and cruise through the house with no problems. You're fastest mode is still crawling, and you love being chased while doing so. All it takes is one "I'm gonna get you!" and you take off in the opposite direction, squealing in delight. You like to run around the house and see if you can find me if I've suddenly gone missing out of your universe.
You have finally figured out the ball drop toy that I got for you (ball goes in the top, spirals down, you chase ball, and repeat). I was delighted! You also live for pushing buttons and making things do something. You love musical instruments, especially the guitar, just because of the instant cause and effect.
You can now be left behind to be cared for fairly easily by other people. You don't like overnights in strange places as of yet, but as long as there are people you trust around, you make it through. You had your first overnight with Gigi and Papa last month, and you did surprisingly well. You woke up terrified at first, but Gigi was immensely helpful and calmed you down so you could finally drift back off to sleep. You have yet to go anywhere else, but we'll see. You definitely like your crib, your room, your blanket, your environment to sleep in.
We recently took a trip to Pennsylvania with you, Gavin, Gigi, Papa, Mom Mom and myself to see where our family started. It was a long road trip, with each day having a portion of it spent in the car. You got to meet a lot of relatives, including your Great-Great Aunts Millie and Charlotte, your second cousins John and Joey Edwards, and second cousin George Compton. We got to see special places for our family, like where your Great Grandmother and her family grew up, where she and her husband met (the very spot!), and the various townships and our family calls/ed home. It was a wonderful trip, and the weather was fantastic. We got to see deer every morning before we left on our adventures! We also got to see chipmunks! You got to swim in the very same lake that your Great Grandmother, and Grandmother spent their childhoods swimming in. It was a very special time for all of us. The trip home, not so much. It got bad enough that you would cry upon waking in your car seat and having to get back in your car seat. You did that for a couple days after we got home, too. It was rough on your little body. I was so proud of you and Gavin both through the trip though. I couldn't have asked for better behaved children on such a long journey.
Your verbal skills are increasing, but nothing that resembles a true word yet. You have gestures and syllables for what you need, but mostly, I can somewhat predict what you are needing simply by what time of day it is, or what you are reaching for/looking at. It'll all come in time. You can say mama, but only rarely. You have said "hey" to me a couple times. You still say naynaynaynay for milk. Your facial expressions are more often than not, a lot more reliable than your verbage.
It was not until this past month that you really felt like a one year old to me. I said that before you were born, you were confident and strong. My intuition was very right. You have proven to be that and more. You are incredible. This first year has been such a journey in getting to know you, figuring out how to manage this new definition of family, redefining myself and my personal goals, loving your Daddy as he works hard for us, and raising good people. My family, as always is my joy. You are such a brilliant light. Forever shine, my love. Happy Birthday.

You're turning into such a fun little girl right before my very eyes. You have sweet little babbles, and are a lover. You love cuddles and give me hugs, but nothing delights you more than being thrown in the air. You squeal in delight. You have started cruising! You started crawling last month, but have moved to pulling up and cruising around using the furniture this month. It's been a delight to watch. You often bump into the back of my legs and hoist yourself up. I look down to a proud little face every time. You love sensory play and are no longer content to sit in your playpen with the same old toys. I try to make a new container of themed things for you to discover every few days. This latest one was "kitchen" in a shiny colander with all manner of little kitchen tools in it. You enjoyed a basket full of wooden blocks a lot too! You like to give your brother a hard time and take whatever is in his hands. You particularly enjoy his cars. He particularly despises it and winds up giving you a shove and a scream in return. You are all over the place and nothing is safe from your curious grasp. All the doors in the back of the house get closed on a daily basis.

You have charmed the pants off your daddy, and he taught you "bonk" last month, wherein you give adorable little headbutts upon mention of the word. If I ask you where my nose is, you smack it, or bite it, depending on your mood. It's pretty funny either way. You love patty cake, and so big. You dig dancing, and love bouncing. You're still attached to my hip and don't like it when I get out of sight for too long with anyone else but your daddy. You take off on your own when at playdates, but come back to check in when you're ready. You LOVE babies your own size, and still cry every time you see our elderly neighbor.

Discovering how you eat best has been quite the journey in and of itself! You really dislike baby food. Meaning, if it's not really, really chunky, you'll clamp your mouth shut, and have actually shook your head at me in refusal. I always took it as not hungry. No. It's not like. I started feeding you whatever is on my plate in the teensiest of bites, and you nearly finished off half a plate of spaghetti one day! So table food it has been ever since! You eat like a champ! You just decided purees were for babies, and you were not going to have any of that.

Speaking of big kids, my son, you are becoming more and more of a big boy every day. You are such a gentle giant. Here lately, you have been doing a set list of chores for an allowance. You decided you wanted a Mack Character Hauler from Cars. Since birthday and all holidays were a ways off, and I just didn't want to go and buy it for you, I thought I'd see how you would react to working and saving for it. It was beyond successful. You worked your chores week to week, and in return received $1.50 each week. You had to clean your room, help make beds, take out the garbage in the bathroom and Mary's room, feed the dogs, put away the silverware, and be nice to your sister. After 10 weeks, we finally had enough money to take you to the toy store to make your purchase! You earned some bonus money picking up small limbs that came out of our tree after a tropical storm came through, even picking up limbs in our neighbor's yards. You were able to walk in, pick out your purchase, take it up front, and pay for it all yourself. Your daddy and I have never been so proud. You worked so hard, for so long, and achieved your goal. You have since not stopped playing with your new truck.

You had a really great conversation with me the other day. It all started after we came back from the park from a playdate. You saw a plane earlier that morning, and on the ride home, you said "Mama, I want to fly a plane!"

"Sure kiddo, you want to be a pilot?" I asked.

"Yeah! I want to be a pilot and fly a blue plane when I get big!"

Ever since you have been talking about flying blue planes, red planes, and being an aviator. You finally had your tiny person career declaration, and it was just as awesome as I thought it was going to be.

Kiddo, I don't know if the universe is aligning or what, but since you have turned three, you are getting majorly injured left and right.

I don't know how I got around not documenting about when you got staples (!!!) put in your scalp, but here it is. You were jumping around the house as usual, and you decided to climb onto your Dad's recliner in my lap. Somehow you lost your balance and fell backwards onto one of your Matchbox firetrucks. You fell so hard, you snapped off a corner of the plastic piece. Not only that, you also sliced into your head, causing an inch long laceration that I knew immediately upon seeing it, would need closing up. I put you on the counter, put some pressure on it to stop the bleeding, and explained what happened to you. You were plenty scared, but we moved swiftly, got you ready, called Gigi, got Mary ready, and Gigi arrived in time to help us load into the Jeep. Off we went to the Emergency Room. You were very brave, with your package of mixed veggies held to your head. We called your dad and he met us at the doors. You were very verbal in telling the nurses what happened. Once they irrigated it out, people around us saw why I brought you in. They decided to use staples instead of sutures, and ooh boy. Those were about a hundred times worse than the actual injury. They tried to numb it up using a topical anesthetic, but that, from how you reacted, didn't do squat in relieving the pain of having them put in. I held you chest to chest, and they proceeded to staple the wound closed. You howled and screamed. My heart wrenched knowing you were in pain. I hated having to have this done to you. Once they were done, you did okay, but you were still certain that the "click click" was awful. Quick pick up of Chick Fil A for lunch, and we headed home to let you sleep the anxiety off.

Onto more recent events... I seriously hope that this is no indicator of how things are going to go as you grow up. We were at our local Taco Bell for dinner, and while I love Taco Bell as much as the next person, they have ramps inside their older restaurants. I hate ramps. I hate that you, and every other child, love ramps so much. You go full out. Running up. Running down. Running running running. It's a recipe for disaster.

After dinner, Gigi took you to the bathroom to get washed up and potty before we went home. You came running out, and no sooner did you leave her hand behind that you hit the front of your head into the handicap railing extending about a foot or so out from the wall before the ramp, knocking your feet right up and out from underneath you, and slamming the back of your head in the floor. You screamed immediately. You were consolable and answering questions. We got ice for the goose egg, and packed you up to go home. You were fine. Your pupils looked good, you were talking, answering questions, telling stories, singing, all normal behavior.

Sometime around 4:30 you crawled into bed with us for the night. I was too tired to escort you back, and after my previous experience, when you come crawling in, it's usually because something's wrong. So we all nodded back off to sleep together. After I got up at 6 to feed Mary, you woke up at 6:30 throwing up. I took you to the bathroom and back to your bed to sleep a bit longer. You were groggy, but I thought it was because you were sleepy still. At 7:00, your dad and I were packing everything up to take him to work, and the minute I stood you up, you vomited again. I was a smidge worried at that point. After dropping off Daddy, I immediately took you to the pediatrician to get checked out. After another vomit episode they took you back right away. They looked at you all over, checked every part of your head, asked questions, you answered... you were just off. Slow. Quiet. Sad. Not my boy. I felt awful that you felt so poorly. They put us on the list for Crucial Care, and off we went to get a CT scan to make sure that it was nothing more than a mild concussion. After picking up Daddy, more vomit, we made it. A long wait, and some questions, an anti nausea medication, and more looking at you later, we got you in the room with the big machine. "I'm going to be verwy bwave" you said. And you were. It still scared you, and took about seven minutes to convince you that it was going to be okay. Daddy kept sticking his head in the middle of the machine and you'd laugh at him. Finally it was time to get you in there, and you clutched Bear, laid super still, and let them work on you. Daddy played "Dr. Worm" on his phone and sang to you while they worked hard at getting the images they needed quickly so we could let you up. You did great! You laid super still, and they only had to do one re-take.

More waiting, more waiting and more waiting, we were finally sent home with the diagnosis for mild concussion, and some paperwork. You were feeling more yourself, but were so exhausted that we all crashed out for four hours when we got home. You woke up hungry and ready to play! Stressful day, but I'm praising God you seem alright. We'll see come morning. I love you, Bug. You SCARE MOMMY, but I love you :-)

You're really close to movement these days! You are rocking on all fours, and you'll even bring a knee under and sit on it for a bit before scooting all over backwards. You have managed to pin yourself under your playpen, your jumperoo, the kitchen table, the side tables in the living room... you are all over the place. You'll figure out proper crawling soon, but you're pretty happy to be a little scooter butt these days.

You love your dogs and enjoy interacting with them in front of their crate. You avoid Duke's licks, I'm guessing because his tongue can feel very much like sandpaper, but he sure does love kissing you. You always look for them in their crate when you are in the living room.

You prefer to be out of your playpen and on the general floor these days, but it's probably because you like the freedom of moving all around versus just sitting up or just laying down. You do like having the curtains open while in your playpen though so you can see the world going by outside. Helps you get some good ole Vitamin D, too! You totally dig being outside and being on the go with Gavin and I. You like picking up and eating grass, getting your fingers in the dirt, exploring pine needles and leaves. You prefer having your face shaded out of the sun, but really appreciate sunbeams licking your toes.

We have introduced you to several new sensory experiences as of late. You have finally figured out how to splash, so you now get baths in the bath tub with about an inch or two of water to splash to your little heart's content. You like when I squeeze out the rag over your head. Bath time is certainly your favorite time of day. You have always loved water and your baths. Not surprising seeing as you came into the world in a giant pool, ha!

I placed you in the tub the other day with a small bucket of flour, some measuring cups, and a measuring spoon. You literally sat in there for 45 minutes just digging your hands in, pouring it from the cups, dumping out the bowl, and learning all about the texture. You really enjoyed it, and even tried the hard job of learning how to pull up on the side of the tub when you were done. You were unsuccessful at the last endeavor, but I'm sure you'll have it soon! You're a pretty determined little one.

We also took you to the Zoo's Splash Park yesterday. You looked just like your brother sitting in front of the little manatee fountain. You were enchanted for about 15 minutes, having the water splash on you, and splashing away in the little puddle, and then you were very done and wanted Mama. Once we got seated, you crashed out in my arms. The sun combined with water did you in. But you were super patient for your brother as we tromped through the rest of the Zoo. You enjoyed riding on the carousel in my arms while your brother went round and round three separate times. It was a really fun day! You wound up eating 8 ounces of baby food for dinner that night! I suppose we worked up quite an appetite!

In bigger news, you got your first tooth! I noticed it on the morning of April 6. These things always tend to happen overnight it seems. You're eating solids so much better than you used to, and much faster, too. You enjoy a wide variety of foods, and really dig in when there is fruit involved. You enjoy combination foods rather than each by themselves. For instance, last night you had raspberries, spinach and greek yogurt blended, with a side car of broccoli, apples, and bananas blended. It sounds awful, but I have given them both a taste, and they have my thumbs up taste wise. You like mum mum teething biscuits, celery stalks, and apple slices. You are still working on the fine motor skill of picking up puffs or cheerios and getting them in there. You mostly pick them up and they get lost in your fists. Your favorite food thus far is broccoli mixed with pears. You also love anything off my plate in teeny bites. You have sampled meatballs, eggs, grits, sausage, chicken, turkey, pasta, and numerous other delights. You like eating off of utensils, and can even drink out of a cup if it's put to your lips.

You like being sung to, and in particular Open Shut Them. You like Twinkle Twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, You Are My Sunshine, Baby Mine, and any tune I make up that features your name. You like playing peek a boo, patty cake, poo stinky feet (I smell your feet and excitedly declare how smelly they are), get chu get chu get chu (tickles and raspberries all over), and Sooooo Biiiig (you just started raising your hands above your head and playing with me). You clap! It's adorable because it's a closed fist meets open palm, but you love it, and when I say "yaaaaay" you proceed to clap. You totally know your name and how to charm the pants off of anyone. Your personality is bigger than you are! You'll flirt and play coy with anyone who looks at you for longer than a second or two.

Hi little love. I'm sitting here stunned. Stunned! I'm so surprised that seven months is here already. The ending of six months is always so bittersweet; it feels like an ending to babyhood, and a giant thrust into toddlerhood. I know at seven months, yes, you are very much still a baby. Heck, you aren't even crawling yet. You just seem so much older than you did a week ago. It makes my heart ache a little, knowing that you are not going to be so little, so wistfully full of infant sweetness for much longer.

But life rolls on, doesn't it? And with it, you grow older, bigger, and stronger, every day. I read a quote long ago by another blogger named Jennifer of She Likes Purple fame that I cling to in moments like this: "Missing who he was before is like missing a light while I live with the sun." And indeed... living with you is like living with the sun, you shine so brightly. You are so effervescent to be around that it's contagious, and it makes me want to coo and get all tangled up in the wonder of you. While Gavin was my serious baby, you are the total opposite and delight in anyone that comes into your world - quietly, of course. You squeal out of sheer happiness, you love to laugh and smile. But, much like your mother, ahem, while you love passionately, you can also fight with much the same. While your tantrums are short, they are nothing short of dramatic and fuel filled.

You said your first official word! "Bubba." I had you on the changing table and you were babbling away, when you paused for a moment, and said, clear as day, Bubba. Not, BahBah, which you say most times, but Bubba. You're so enamored with your brother and it just warms my heart how you two just seem to be in sync with each other. He makes you smile and laugh like no one else, even me, can. All he has to do is look at you. You were saying Mamamamama for a while before that when you were hungry, but it was nice to have a solid word come and be noticed. I still say you said Mama first. I win.

You also started sitting up! You can't push up into a sit on your own, but when placed sitting, you can sit for quite a long time. And you have beautiful posture, I might add. It made your life so much happier to have the ability to be vertical and play. You actually play with toys these days. It's neat to watch you try to figure stuff out, and just experience different things tactily.

You love your jumperoo and will jump and jump and jump and jump and jump... you are just a busy little creature! You still prefer zen, calm, order, routine. But when all is familiar, you let loose and rev up your activity level. When things get too busy, too much, you can be seen burying your head into me, or crying to be removed from the situation. You do not like when people get all up in your face out of nowhere. Our sweet neighbor made that mistake the other day, and your little lip came out, eyes welled up, and you let her have it. When approached calmly though, everything is always kosher. You like dogs, and I have found you looking for ours every now and again when they are not in their crate. You don't mind doggie kisses, and in fact, giggle whenever Duke gives them to you.

You eat food lately, too. We tried on the day you turned six months old, but it seems your gut was not ready, since you woke up every hour on the hour all night for two nights in a row with your belly rumbling, and you wrenching for relief. So we put the skids on it until you turned seven months, and boy what a difference. You still only get lunch, but you can at least tolerate it. You HATE vegetables and the only way I get them in you is if I dip them in the fruit I have sitting to go with them. You love bananas and blueberries, as well as any other fruit I can give you. I have also given you bananas and peaches with a great response as well. You don't open your mouth wide for every bite. In fact, feeding you food takes forever. You usually give me the smallest opening possible, I put the spoon in, sort of, and you suck the food off the spoon. It's a hilariously slow process. I'm teaching you some signs in conjunction (more, all done), but you seem to have little use for them.